Greetings, fellow gamers and cosmic wanderers! Today, I’m excited to shine a spotlight on a project that emerged from the creative synergy between myself and the talented Andrew Hagen. Launched on October 1, 2019, ‘Alien Squatter‘ is more than an RPG—it’s a pixelated quest through the inspired landscapes of a futuristic Japan.
Writing and Development
Andrew Hagen takes the helm as the developer and writer of ‘Alien Squatter.‘ His creative vision and narrative skills breathe life into the desolate landscapes and intriguing characters that populate this dystopian world.
The seed for Alien Squatter germinated from the stark realities of urban life in Chicago. With his workplace nestled in a neighborhood surrounded by a homeless shelter, Greyhound bus station, and a vacant lot dotted with makeshift tents, the developer found inspiration in the daily encounters with homelessness. The poignant interactions with those facing the challenges of life on the streets, coupled with subway commutes that offered glimpses into the struggles of the less fortunate, became the catalyst for the game’s thematic core. However, it’s important to note that Alien Squatter takes a satirical approach, using an alien setting to explore societal issues rather than aiming for a realistic portrayal of homelessness.
Pixel Art
I took on the role of the pixel artist for the game. It’s more than obvious that the art of the Mother (Earthbound) series was a major influence on the game’s visual style. To make things my own I attempted to craft a visual experience that pays homage to real-world Nagayama, Tokyo (Where I was residing during the game’s development). The game features subtle nods to the surrounding area. For instance, the in-game train line (which runs under the graveyard) is called KO, a direct reference to the Keio line that services Nagayama Station. The mechanical cat submerged in the water… it’s a reference to the neighboring Sanrio Puroland located in Tama Center, the hometown of Hello Kitty. Furthermore, ミルク Park mirrors an actual park area nestled between the two train stops.
Alien Aural Action!
Additionally, I composed the entire video game soundtrack under the name ‘Bag of Dragonite.’ Of course, I wanted the album to seem somewhat alien to listeners, but I also pulled in inspiration from what I was hearing around me. At the time, I was staying in a share house which had a lot of musicians coming and going, exposing me to a lot of unique sounds. I had the opportunity of absorbing insight from many notable musicians who passed through, including Bev Painter, Moe Shop, Android52, Nekura, Night Tempo, マクロスMACROSS 82-99, and gupi. With the prominence of Hermeto Pascoal in Tokyo at the time, he no doubt shaped the sound of the OST as well.
My involvements also opened up an opportunity for me to release a single as part of Commodified Amenities for Vapor95’s record label, DARKNET. For this, I came up with the song ‘Racer X,’ which also became the emotional closing piece for the Alien Squatter soundtrack.
Gameplay Features
- Choose from 3 alien species. All of them are weird aliens with cool abilities.
- Romance and befriend over 20 characters including a gangster, a breakdancer, a priest, a giant ooze, and a robot serial killer.
- Gain one of 5 pets, each with different abilities and unique personalities.
- Grow your physical, mental, and social stats, and use them to overcome obstacles.
- Do what it takes to survive. Forage, fight, fish, steal, salvage, sneak, shop, beg, get a job, sell your organs, party, get high, gamble, mutate, use psychic powers. There are many paths to success.
- Be a good person or a scoundrel. The karma system tracks it all.
- Dozens of endings and achievements.
- Evocative descriptions bring the dystopian world to life. It’s a really terrible place!
Download and Play
‘Alien Squatter‘ is a collaborative labor of love, available for free on Steam, Google Play Store, and itch.io.
With all that said I encourage you to give this game a try. If not, maybe you would be more interested in one of our other game releases.
